Sourdough Brownies
Weather wise, we’ve had an odd week. We had sunny days with warmer than usual temperatures for March. I liked those a lot. We also had days with temperatures that barely made it to the 20s with winds clocking in at more than 50 miles per hour. I didn’t like those days at all. Neither did Penny Lane. She has never been a fan of noisy weather.
On the first of our blustery winter days, I was desperate for a bit of comfort and warmth. So, I decided to do a little baking. I didn’t have much time to spend, so I picked a favorite recipe that comes together easily: Deep and Dark Chocolate Brownies. As far as dessert comfort is concerned, a warm pan of brownies seemed like just what the doctor ordered.
As I was gathering together my ingredients, I caught sight of Gus, my sourdough starter. It was time for me to feed Gus which gave me a thought. I wondered if the brownie recipe we had made dozens of times would be transformed into something new (and equally delicious) if I added my daily sourdough discard to it. There was only one way to find out, so it was time to get baking and see what took shape.
I mixed the brownies by hand and decided to add a few tablespoons of buttermilk to improve the consistency of the batter before baking. The brownies baked up beautifully and smelled delicious. Once I removed them from the oven, I could only count the minutes until they were cool enough to enjoy.
While our Deep and Dark Chocolate Brownies are dense, these sourdough brownies were more cakey with a slightly softer texture. They didn’t veer too far into the cake world, they were still every bit a brownie. I was very happy about that.
The flavor was delicious, full of the chocolatey goodness that I want from a brownie. It wasn’t too sweet, but sweet enough. Every bite made me glad that I had decided to make brownies.
Adding my sourdough discard to our well loved brownie recipe didn’t alter the flavor of this delicious treat in a substantial way. What it did was give me a simple way to put my sourdough discard to good use. It also created a way for me to deliver a completely new texture to the brownie recipe we love.
With a pan of brownies cooling on the kitchen counter, I cared a lot less about the wind that continued to howl outside. While I couldn’t share them with Penny Lane, she had fallen asleep while I was busy baking. So, I brewed myself a cup of tea and joined her on the couch to do a little writing.
We rode out the stormy weather together. Long before I had finished my tea, I was already looking forward to sharing the sourdough brownies with my family and listening to their opinions about this new take on our old recipe. Penny Lane would have to settle for a treat since I couldn’t share these delicious brownies with her. I was certain that she wouldn’t mind as long as I promised to keep her company on the couch and share the corner of my sourdough toast with her in the morning.
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Sourdough Brownies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (1 stick) butter , softened and cubed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard (unfed)
- 2 Tbs buttermilk
- ½ cup (60 grams) All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (40 grams) cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips , flavored baking chips, or other additions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the brownies from sticking to the pan as they bake.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift if desired or use a dry whisk to aerate the dry ingredients and break up any small lumps.
- Combine the softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a mixer or a wooden spoon, mix until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and beat to fully incorporate. Add the sourdough discard and buttermilk and stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients in a single addition to the mixing bowl with the butter mixture. Beat just long enough to fully incorporate the dry ingredients. Add your chocolate chips or other additions and stir lightly to evenly distribute them. Take care not to overmix.
- Using a spatula, transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. The batter will be very thick. Spread the batter to evenly cover the bottom of the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until just set. When baked, the brownies will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle of the pan will come out clean.Because of their fudgy texture and high chocolate content, the brownies can seem under baked. Once they have cooled to room temperature, they will set up nicely. Resist the urge to overbake them and you’ll be rewarded with delicious brownies with great texture.
- Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature. If desired, sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream before serving. Enjoy!